We live in a digital era and our lives have become inextricably tied to our mobile phones. With the widespread proliferation of mobiles and social media, the negative effects of smartphones are now being felt.
According to Dr. Anna Lembke, an addiction expert and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, the growing number of mental health specialists now recognise that people can get addicted to their smartphones.
So what’s the way out? Digital detox. It can play a great role in countering the negative effects of smartphones. Digital detox or digital wellness refers to the practice of cutting your smartphone use for a temporary period of time to break the cycle of addiction. When we say smartphones, we are also referring to devices like laptops and tablets. The inherent goal is to reduce access to social media sites.
We can follow these methods for a digital detox.
Turn off the notifications in the morning
Many people get busy with their phones as soon as they wake up in the morning. The habit of checking your messages, emails or social media profiles in the morning itself is not good for your wellness. Instead of using your phone in the morning, you can read a newspaper instead. Keeping your notifications off in the morning is a great method for a digital detox.
No phone during lunchtime
Not using your phone during lunchtime is important for your mental health and wellness.
Phone on flight mode in the evening
You can keep your phone on flight mode in the evening if you want to carry out digital detox effectively. Instead of using your phones, you can spend quality time with your family.
Distance from phone before sleeping
You should stop using your phone one hour before sleeping. This is important to avoid the harmful effects of your phone’s blue light. You can use audible apps instead for important messages.
